A three-year environmental study that
researched expected impacts of the proposed rerouting of Amtrak trains from the
current Point Defiance tracks to the Sounder
rails through South Tacoma has determined
See AMTRAK / page A5

jlarson@tacomaweekly.com

K

enna Erhardt of Rogers High
School on South Hill is the new
Daffodil Queen. Erhardt and
girls from schools around Pierce
County competed for the title
during the Queen’s Coronation,
held at Life Center in Tacoma on March 8.
Kayla Prewitt of Curtis High School in University
Place was selected as Miss Congeniality. With that
title comes a $500 scholarship from Tacoma Yacht
Club. Grace Collins of Fife High School came in third
place, with Prewitt taking second place.
The event began with welcome and introductions
from emcees Chris Egan and Tracy Taylor, reporters
from KING 5 television.
Sarah Karamoko, the outgoing queen, came
onstage. She was escorted by Clan Gordon Pipe Band,
which performed “God Bless America.”
Next was the introduction of the 2013 court. Each
girl was escorted by a boy from her school, who introduced her to the audience. Each princess gave a oneminute speech, then answered a question about what
she thinks is magical about Daffodil Festival.
Several touched on this year’s theme, “The Magic
of Music,” in their responses. “Music reminds me that
I am a winner,” said Shelondra Harris of Foss High
School.
She mentioned playing basketball and volleyball
for the Foss Falcons. Through the values she has
learned in school and through participating in Daffodil Festival, she has learned she is “always a champion
regardless of the outcome.”
The 24 girls are building up their self-confidence,
Harris observed. “I am a force to be reckoned with.”
Tara Harris of Lincoln High School recalled being
bullied in seventh grade. A music teacher at school

See QUEEN / page A5
PHOTOS BY STEVE JAMES

MARCH MAGIC. (Top) The 2013 court onstage
at Life Center. (Middle) Kenna Erhardt of
Rogers High School reacts to the announcement that she is the new Daffodil Queen.
(Bottom) Carly Knox of Stadium High School,
escorted by school-mate Tommy Hawthorne.

Helping
kids
A3

TINKERTOPIA:
Couple’s new project is fueled by
trinkets and trappings. PAGE B3

Season
preview
A7

City Briefs ................A2
Pothole Pig ...............A3

Wishbone
Ash
B5

Sports ......................A6
A&E ....................... ..B1

PHOTO BY CEDRIC LEGGIN

ON THE MARKET. The Armory was

the jewel of Tacoma in 1908. Echoing
with history’s voices now in the 21st
century, it’s a city treasure that can
be yours for a cool million.

WHAT’S RIGHT WITH TACOMA

Tacoma’s Armory
stands ready for
a new future

By Kathleen Merryman
Tacoma’s National Guard
Armory and all its wonders
could still be yours. The fortress of arms, concerts, horses and presidents
is still on the market.
An interested buyer had toured, talked, run

On March 7 Pierce County Prosecutor
Mark Lindquist charged Tacoma resident
Tyler Elkins with promoting sexual abuse
of a minor and third-degree child rape for
having sex with, then prostituting, a 15-yearold girl. Last November the victim was
kidnapped by an acquaintance named “Hollywood” and an unknown man in California.
She was escorted at gunpoint to a house,
where she was forced to have sex with several men. Hollywood threatened to kill her if
she attempted to escape.
Hollywood forced the girl to walk the
streets looking for customers and took numerous nude photographs of her that he used on
websites to solicit dates. The victim gave the
money she earned to another prostitute, who
would give a portion to Hollywood.
On March 2 Hollywood arranged for the
victim to begin prostituting in Tacoma. He
drove her to meet a friend, the defendant. The
three drove to a hotel, where the victim was
left with the defendant. There he allegedly
threatened the girl and forced her to have
sex with him. He arranged encounters with
her, collected between $600 and $1,000 from
men, then forced the victim to have sex with
them. This occurred three times.
On March 5 Elkins is accused of taking
the girl to a fast-food restaurant. She went to
the restroom and escaped. She then called
police.
On March 6 Elkins was arrested at his
home. He has pleaded not guilty and bail was
set at $75,000. His next court appearance is
scheduled for March 22.

CAR HITS TRAIN

A man with a medical condition lost
control of his pickup truck on March 6 and
hit a Tacoma Link light rail train. The incident occurred in the 100 block of South 25th
Street. Police believe the driver had a seizure.
He was taken to a hospital for treatment. No
one on the train was hurt. Damage to the
train was minimal.

SUICIDE ON BRIDGE

A man jumped to his death from the Narrows Bridge on March 5. Police and medical
crews responded. The man, 62, was a University Place resident. His car was parked
along the eastbound shoulder of the bridge.
His body was recovered.

POLICE INVESTIGATING FIRE

Firefighters responded to a fire in a
commercial building on Feb. 28. Heavy
smoke was coming from PetSmart, located at
3326 S. 23rd St. The sprinkler system in the
building was activated and fire crews extinguished the remaining hot spots. Employees,
customers and pets were evacuated. No animals appear to have been injured. Damage
is estimated at $35,000. The cause of the
fire was determined to be suspicious and
the case was handed over to Tacoma Police
Department.

As everyone already knows, March 3 was
declared national “If Pets Had Thumbs Day.” So
that seems as good a reason as any to have a petthemed photo contest.
The rules are simple. Readers e-mailed photos
of their pets to Tacoma Weekly with a caption of
what they thought their pet was thinking at the
time.
Now it is your turn to vote on the best photo
and caption. The photos have been posted online
and on Facebook. The photo with the most votes,
either through “likes” or comments, by March 15
will be the winner. The winners will be announced
March 18. The top winner will receive four tickets
to the Andre Rieu concert at KeyArena on March
19. The second and third-place winners will receive
two tickets. Admission is regularly $72 each.
Rieu, one of the best-selling live acts in the
world, is a master of the violin and his international “And The Waltz Goes On Tour” is an ode to
the waltz and named after his successful album, for
which he collaborated with Sir Anthony Hopkins.

WILSON CHOIR HOSTS DINNER, AUCTION

The Wilson High School Scintillation Show
Choir will host its annual dinner and auction starting at 5 p.m. on March 23, at the Charles Wright
Academy Dome, 7723 Chambers Creek Road in
University Place. Guests must be 21 or older to
attend this event.
The $20 tickets include an Italian dinner, a
Show Choir performance and silent and live auctions. Attendees can bid on more than 400 silent
auction items and 25 live auction items.
For ticket information, call Scintillation Booster President Samantha Logar at (253) 223-9721 or
Scintillation Director Wendy Shepherd after 2:30
p.m. at (253) 571-6156.

WALKATHON TO HONOR MACHINIST

Machinists Union members are joining with
The Rescue Mission in Tacoma for a walkathon to
benefit the mission’s community service work.
Along with raising money, the first Vennie
Murphy Walkathon also will honor a member of
Machinists Union District Lodge 751 who has
been an outstanding volunteer at the mission since
the 1990s.
The five-kilometer walk will be from 9 a.m.
to 2 p.m. April 6 at Federal Way High School.
Registration is $15 for adults and $5 for youth
under 16.
Murphy, a retired Boeing Co. worker from
Puyallup, was honored as one of the mission’s
volunteers of the year for 2012.
“I don’t know of anybody who’s had as much
faithfulness about serving, and has been so influential in bringing in other people to serve,” said
David Curry, The Rescue Mission’s chief executive
officer. “We need lots of Vennies.”
In particular, Curry credited Murphy with
creating the partnership between the mission and
the Machinists Volunteer Program, which is the
community service arm of District 751. Union
“MVPs” help prepare and serve Saturday and
Sunday breakfasts two weekends each month,
while also throwing periodic Sunday dinners for
the mission’s clients.

Murphy is one of the union’s top volunteers. In
2012, he received a gold-level President’s Volunteer Service Award from the White House, which
is the top award given by the President’s Council
on Service and Civic Participation. It goes only to
volunteers who have given more than 500 hours of
their time in a year to community service, which
Murphy accomplished in 2011.
“Vennie’s been an example and an inspiration
for a lot of us at the union,” said Robley Evans,
who is chairman of District 751’s MVP Committee. “He’s also a great friend. We couldn’t think of
a better way to honor him for all he’s done in the
community than to have a fundraising event in his
name.”
For details, go online at www.rescue-mission.
org/walk-a-thon.

FLEA MARKET OFFERS
BARGAINS AND FUN FOR ALL

The popular flea market run by the Women’s
League of University of Puget Sound will be held
this year on March 23, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. More
than 60 booths will offer antiques and collectibles,
artwork, handcrafts, artisan and vintage jewelry,
home and garden items, furniture, clothing, glassworks, locally-sourced foods and more at Memorial Fieldhouse, near the corner of Union Avenue
and North 11th Street in Tacoma. Admission is $3.
Parking is free.
The flea market, now in its 45th year, has
become a much-anticipated tradition in the South
Sound. Its attractions include the “Grandma’s
Attic” booth, a silent auction, and coffee, pies, and
cakes at the cafe.
Proceeds from the event support University of
Puget Sound scholarships for students. Last year
the flea market raised $13,000, all of which went
toward scholarships. In total last year Women’s
League endowed scholarships provided $28,950 in
financial aid to 13 talented Puget Sound students.
To make donations of goods to be sold at the
market, please contact Carla Moschetti at (253)
777-4385 or send an e-mail to ccmosh@yahoo.
com.
The flea market is the largest event organized
by members of the Women’s League of University
of Puget Sound each year. It has been held since
1968, after a member of the league traveled to
Paris, France, and was inspired by a visit to a flea
market there. The league was founded in 1900
and has been supporting the university and its students since that time by selling tickets to concerts,
publishing cookbooks, collecting donations and
hosting events.
Tickets can be purchased at the door. For more
information about the flea market contact Lynn
Raisl at (253) 759-0725 or send an e-mail message to lynnraisl@hotmail.com. For daily updates,
visit the Women’s League Facebook page at www.
facebook.com/PugetSoundWomensLeague.

SEAHAWKS COACH PARTNERS WITH
NORTHWEST LEADERSHIP FOUNDATION

On Feb. 27, Pete Carroll, head coach of the
Seattle Seahawks, spoke to the Legislature in
Olympia about youth and gang violence in the
Puget Sound.
Carroll spoke to representatives and senators
about the value of public/private partnerships and
the importance of continued investment in youth
and gang violence intervention and prevention
programs.

Carroll spoke on behalf of his A
Better Seattle organization, the YMCA
of Greater Seattle’s Alive and Free program and Tacoma’s Northwest Leadership Foundation (NLF), whose efforts
are reducing gang violence and building
ladders of opportunities for youth in the
Puget Sound.
His primary purpose at the Capitol
was to draw support for funding and cooperation from state officials. Carroll stated,
“Creating partnerships across our region
and increasing private funds to support
the flow of public dollars has allowed us
to build a model that we believe is sustainable, managed at the local community
level and is results-driven.”
He stressed that Washington has an
opportunity to be an example of social
innovation for the rest of the country.
He feels this program should be in every
major city in the United States to reduce
youth violence, incarceration and the
number of victims of violence.
Carroll chose the Northwest Leadership Foundation to work alongside A Better Seattle because of their dedication to
urban youth and the revitalization of the
city. NLF was the Seahawks Charity of
the Month for December 2012 and continues their relationship with the NFL team
to advocate for youth in the Puget Sound.
With a heart for the city, NLF runs
programs designed to lift youth up and
out of self-destructive cycles and provide
safe places for them to excel. Applying straightforward, practical solutions
to advance the faith of their beloved
city, they operate in accessible, culturally sensitive and powerful ways. The
Proteen initiative is NLF’s one-stop-shop
for youth ages 10-22 involved in or at
risk of involvement in the juvenile justice
system. The program helps these youth
recognize their gifts, find their distinctive voice to set goals and take action for
change. They provide a non-threatening
environment, working intensely with adult
mentors, the faith community and service
providers to assist them in developing and
achieving their goals.
MORE CITY BRIEFS AT TACOMAWEEKLY.COM

Local Restaurants
Flipping Out Famous Burgers and Fries
Judging from the prices on the menu at Flipping Out
Burgers ($3.79 for a cheeseburger!), most people may
not automatically assume that only the most high-quality,
premium ingredients are used. But owners Tom and
Marina Lomis refuse to cut any corners when it comes
to their burgers, fries, corndogs – or anything else on
the menu, for that matter. In fact, each morning, workers
hand grind the beef, and the buns are baked fresh the night
before using a special recipe created for the restaurant.
Only the freshest condiments are used, including hand
pulled lettuce, and French fries are freshly cut in-store.
Customers can build their own burgers, choosing
whichever ingredients and condiments they would like –
and for no extra charge.
“We’re a small company with friendly employees
creating a great clientele,” Tom Lomis said.
While typical burger restaurants tend to add ﬁllers to
create that “juicy” look to a burger, Flipping Out’s beef
contains only 9 percent fat or less – the closest thing any
of us will ever get to a low-fat hamburger. Each burger
also includes a special – secret -- seasoning from Chicago.
“People can actually enjoy a burger here and not feel
guilty about clogging their arteries,” Lomis laughed.
Corn dogs are also made using only Hebrew National
Kosher hotdogs, hand battered in a recipe made inhouse.
Marina Lomis also recently opened up Sipping Out, a
coffee stand connected to the restaurant, featuring high-

quality coffee from Olympia-based roaster Batdorf and
Bronson. Sipping Out also serves breakfast sandwiches
in the mornings, and its delicious caffeinated beverages
are offered all day long during the restaurant’s normal
business hours (Monday through Thursday from 6 a.m. to
9 p.m., and Fri.-Sat. from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.)
Flipping Out also offers senior discounts, and some
lucky toddlers out there – if they’re good for their parents
– may receive mini ice cream cones for free, as well. In
addition to ice cream, the restaurant offers a full menu of
milkshakes, malts and even deep-friend cheesecake.
Flipping Out Burgers is located at 4008 S. 12th St. in
Tacoma.

500 motor race. The Wasp featured the
worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first rear-view mirror and also
pioneered the use of aluminum in its
engine, body and chassis.
The 1926 Marmon D-74 roadster
featured an in-line six. Nearly 4,500 of
were sold in 1926 at a cost of $3,000.
But the car makerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fate was sealed
with the global downturn of the 1930s.
Production ended in 1933.

The 84-horsepower car in the
LeMay collection is Marmonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s twopassenger, three-speed roadster that
successfully completed the 2011 Pebble Beach Motoring Classic.
Only 350 of the 250,000 Marmon
cars ever produced are known to exist
today. D-74 models run upward of
$90,000 when they are auctioned in car
collecting circles.

ive Megan Shea
and Amy Allison credit for the
best idea of the Charlieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s
Dinosaur Drive for Foster
Kids.
They work at Associated
Ministries, where theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re
true to the mission of uniting people of faith to build
stronger communities. They
embraced the drive as a
chance to add a little personal oomph to that mission
by collecting supplies for
kids going into foster care.
Most collection sites so
far are gathering random
items from the most wanted
list of clothing and toiletries. Shea and Allison saw
another way.
â&#x20AC;&#x153;Can we fill a backpack for one child?â&#x20AC;? Allison asked, just as Shea was
about to pose the same question.
These women are brilliant.
Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re going beyond
buying hair dryers and jeans
for a cause. They and their
colleagues will be sending
one child on his or her way
with a rolling bag packed
with love and hope.
Associated Ministriesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;
staff will decide together
whether they would like to
help a boy or a girl. They
will pick an age range, and
they will plan together who
will bring what for the suitcase.
Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a perfect model. Any
office, church, classroom or
club can do it.
The next best question
of the drive came up when
the staff got a briefing on
it: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Can we fill more than
one?â&#x20AC;?
You know the answer.

ABOUT THE DRIVE

Child abuse and neglect
cases are some of the hardest on Pierce County Sheriffâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s deputies. Though they
are all awful, the death of
Charlie and Braden Powell

POTHOLE

OF THE WEEK

By Steve Dunkelberger

The Nordyke and Marmon Co. was
an early maker of gas-powered vehicles
with its first production model of an
air-cooled V-twin automobile in 1902
at a factory in Indianapolis. That car
came a full six years before Henry
Ford released its landmark â&#x20AC;&#x153;Tin Lizzieâ&#x20AC;?
Model T in Detroit, which would go
down in history as the first affordable
automobile. The Marmon cars had a
price tag of about $2,500, while the
Model T cost just $850. That price difference made one only reachable to the
upper crust, while the Ford model was
clearly marketed to the masses.
The V-2 Marmon, and its sibling
V-4 model, soon gained a reputation
as a sporty and speedy upscale automobile that was also reliable and easy
to maintain. Americaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s driving culture
proved large enough to allow both markets to prosper, until money was harder
to come by, that is. But the market
could not foresee the Great Depression
to come.
The Model 32 of 1909 led to the
Wasp, winner of the first Indianapolis

Pothole pigâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

at their fatherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hand was
one of the worst. Who could
make sense of a parent murdering his own boys?
After they found a picture Charlie made of a happy
dinosaur, five detectives saw
it as the mascot of an effort
to help the kids they still
can. They founded Charlieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s
Dinosaur as a non-profit to
help children moving out of
abuse and into foster care.
Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an awkward
time in that process, said
Det. Sgt. Theresa Berg. The
children rarely have clean
clothes, toiletries or anything to pass the time in the
few days when they are in

meetings, hearings and temporary care. Charlieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Dinosaur fills in that blank with a
backpack or rolling suitcase
filled with new necessities.
The detectives are allowing us to help fill those bags
during Tacoma Weeklyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s
Charlieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Dinosaur Drive
for Foster Kids. The list of
things the children need, and
the places to bring them are
next to this story.